Sharks defensive foundation regains its form in win over Hurricanes

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RALEIGH, N.C. — As the calendar flipped from January to February, the Sharks turned the page on a month of sloppy-defensive hockey, regaining their team identity in the process.

The Sharks (28-16-8) put together another solid-defensive performance Sunday, holding the Carolina Hurricanes (24-21-8) to 29 shots on goal en route to a 3-1 win in Raleigh.

With the win, the Sharks stretched their lead over the Los Angeles Kings for second place in the Pacific Division to three points.

After giving up a league high 45 goals (tied with the New York Islanders) over the first 30 days of January, the Sharks are reestablishing the defensive foundation that allowed them to be the NHL’s stingiest team (91) over the first three months of the season.

With just one goal against Sunday, the Sharks have now surrendered fewer than two regulation goals in three-consecutive games starting with Wednesday’s 2-1 shootout loss in Detroit.

Aaron Dell, who got the start after Martin Jones returned from injury by playing three games in four nights last week, made 28 saves in the win with help from the Sharks defense, which limited the number of quality scoring chances he faced.

The Sharks defense kept the Hurricanes on the perimeter in the defensive zone and they limited the number of second-chance opportunities that Dell faced.

Timo Meier opened scoring at 3:06, taking a pass from Joonas Donskoi in the left circle and beating goalie Cam Ward with a low shot inside the far post. Brent Burns also picked up an assist on Meier’s 12th goal of the season.

The Sharks entered the first intermission with a 2-1 lead because the third line bailed out rookie Danny O’Regan in the period’s final minute. Chris Tierney scored his 13th goal by flipping a backhanded shot past Ward after the Hurricanes defense left him alone in front to receive a pass from Melker Karlsson. Mikkel Boedker also grabbed assist on the play.

Tierney’s goal helped to erase a costly mistake by O’Regan, who allowed the Hurricanes to tie the game 1-1 with 2:02 left in a period the Sharks completely owned with a 12-5 shot edge.

O’Regan flipped a careless-breakout pass onto Jordan Staal’s stick in the right circle, giving Sebastian Aho an open look from the doorstep that he buried.

Burns gave the Sharks a two-goal cushion at 2:03 of the second, retrieving the puck at the blue line and slapping it into the top-right corner as Barclay Goodrow screened Ward. Joel Ward and Joakim Ryan collected assists on Burns’ ninth goal, his 19th point since Jan. 1, which is tops among all NHL defensemen.

The win improved the Sharks record on their five-game road trip to 2-1-1. The trip will conclude with a game against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver Tuesday.